Zhiayi Settles For Silver

By TAN MING WAI

Loh Zhiayi receiving her runners-up medal.

LOH ZHIAYI did a Pandelela by committing a blunder in her final attempt to only settle for silver medal in the girls platform at 2nd Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China this evening.

It is the first medal for the Malaysian contingent on the opening day of the Games.

The 16-year-old lass could have won a historic gold medal if she did not lose balance when attempting an armstand routine in her fourth and final dive.

She retook the dive and was slapped with point deductions, earning a lowly 43.20 points. She could have earned at least 10 extra points, if not for that mistake.

As the final total scores appeared, Zhiayi, who accumulated 411.90 points, found herself 9.10 behind surprise winner Song Namhyang of North Korea (421.00).

Zheng Qi (404.85) of China, who was the favourite in the event, finished third.

“It was really a huge miss, I almost got it (a gold medal)!”sighed Zhiayi. I suffered a similar fate as Lela (in the World Championships), losing balance and needed to retake the dive and that cost me a lot of points. So near yet so far…just because of one mistake in last dive, I have to be contented with second place.

“Nevertheless, I have achieved my target of winning a medal at AYG, I have no complaints.”

Zhiayi will be competing in 3m springboard tomorrow, but she is not expected to be challenging for a podium finish.

“I hardly practiced on springboard, as my pet event is platform. Furthermore, my DD (degree of difficulty) is low compared to others,” added Zhiayi.

“So I’m not expecting myself to win anything, but I’ll still try my very best and we will see.”

In the boys 3m springboard, Muhd. Danial Sabri (487.15) finished a creditable fourth behind Chinese duo Huang Bowen (571.50) and Zheng Ziqun (568.10) and Zeng Tian Yi (500.30) of Hong Kong.

The competition will end tomorrow with another two events taking place – girls 3m springboard and boys platform.

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AYG 2013 - DIVING:Malaysian Diver Wins Silver Medal

DIVING:DRPK diver wins gold medal
(SP)ASIAN YOUTH GAMES-CHINA-NANJING-DIVING

(130817) -- NANJING, Aug. 17, 2013 (Xinhua) --Gold winner Song Namhyang (C) of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), silver medalist Loh Zhiayi (L) of Malaysia and bronze medalist China's Zheng Qi attend the awarding ceremony after the women's 10m platform preliminary of Diving at the 2nd Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, capital of China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 17, 2013. Song Namhyang won the gold with 421.00 points, Loh Zhiayi of Malaysia ranked second place and China's Zheng Qi the third. (Xinhua/Li Yiguang)

(SP)ASIAN YOUTH GAMES-CHINA-NANJING-DIVING

(130817) -- NANJING, Aug. 17, 2013 (Xinhua) -- Silver medalist Loh Zhiayi of Malaysia attends the awarding ceremony after the women's 10m platform final of Diving at the 2nd Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, capital of China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 17, 2013. Song Namhyang won the gold with 421.00 points, Loh Zhiayi of Malaysia ranked second place and China's Zheng Qi the third. (Xinhua/Li Yiguang)

DIVING:Malaysia wins silver medal
(SP)ASIAN YOUTH GAMES-CHINA-NANJING-DIVING

(130817) -- NANJING, Aug. 17, 2013 (Xinhua) -- Loh Zhiayi of Malaysia dives during the women's 10m platform final of Diving at the 2nd Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, capital of China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 17, 2013. Loh Zhiayi won the silver medal with 411.9 points. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Squash: Eain Yow To Be Flag Bearer For Malaysia In Nanjing

Confident: Ng Eain Yow has set his sights on winning the gold medal in the individual event at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing from Aug 17-24.

KUALA LUMPUR: Two-time British Junior Squash Open champion Ng Eain Yow has been given the honour of being the flag bearer for Malaysia at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing from Aug 17-24.

The Form Three student of Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS), who won the British Junior Open Under-13 title in 2011 and the Under-15 title in January, has also set his sights on winning the gold medal in the individual event at the Games.

The youngster had also won the Asian Junior title twice – the Under-15 category in Iran last year and the Under-17 event in Jordan in June.

Eain Yow, seeded joint third-fourth with Hong Kong’s Yuen Tsun Hei in Nanjing, is delighted to have been picked to be the flag bearer for Malaysia in the Under-17 Games.

“Being chosen to be the flag bearer is a boost for the game of squash. It will also boost my confidence as I fight for the gold medal at the Games,” said Eain Yow, who is last year’s national Under-16 champion.

He also hailed this year as the best for him, having won the British Junior Open Under-15 title and the Under-17 title in the Asian Junior.

“Although I’m seeded joint third-fourth for the individual event for the Asian Youth Games, I’m in top form – mentally and physically – to win the singles title,” he said.

“We’re also eyeing the team title as we have good players like Mohd Syafiq (Kamal) and Darren Chan.”

Syafiq, who lost to Eain Yow in the Under-17 final of the Asian Junior meet in Jordan, is the second seed while India’s Kush Kumar is the top seed.

Malaysia’s S. Vanessa Raj has been given the top billing in the girls’ individual event. Hong Kong’s Pansy Pui Hei is the second seed while Rachel Arnold, also of Malaysia, is seeded joint third-fourth. The other Malaysian player – Celine Yeap – will feature in the team event.

The individual event will begin on Aug 17 and the team event on Aug 20.

Twelve teams will feature in the boys’ category, where Malaysia are seeded second behind India.

Seven teams have confirmed their participation in the girls’ category, with Malaysia being the top seeds and Hong Kong second.

Squash was not included in the inaugural Asian Youth Games in Singapore in 2009.

Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) director of coaching Allan Soyza said they are targeting a clean sweep of all the gold medals in squash.

“We have good sets of players in the boys’ and girls’ categories ... we’re confident of dominating the squash event,” said Allan.

The other sports at the Games are athletics, aquatics, badminton, basketball, fencing, golf, judo, shooting, table tennis and weightlifting.

Marina: We Have The Students’ Interest At Heart

FLASHBACK: Marina Chin, the queen of the track, is now principal of Bukit Jalil Sports School.

FLASHBACK: Marina Chin, the queen of the track, is now principal of Bukit Jalil Sports School.

I refer to your article ‘BJSS a stumbling block to Malaysian Sports’.

Thank you for the interest in Bukit Jalil Sports School. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify and inform the public about our purpose and functions.

Bukit Jalil Sports School started operations in 1996 to ensure athletes preparing for the 1998 Commonwealth Games and all other athletes of the future, were not deprived of their right to a quality education. The purpose off all Sports Schools in Malaysia is to promote sports while providing access to education.

Bukit Jalil Sports School has always done it’s best to deliver a quality education to all it’s students no matter where they are through modules, online teaching and learning, sending teachers to the various training centres and so on (Example: Sean Gan Gianelli has been in Italy for a year). This has enabled many rising stars like Emmanuelle Mah, Pandelela Rinong, Elaine Koon, Ivan Yuen, Bunyamin Umar and so many others to excel in their chosen sports as well as academically to ensure a secure future.

Rarely does SSBJ make a decision to stop athletes from competitions or overseas training. This is usually a last resort to help the students pass the all important SPM

Examination. Decisions are always made in the best interest of the child.

With regards to Ahmad Syihan, Arif Fadzilah and Mohd. Raphi Mariappen – the decision was made to request that they be left out of the training stint based on the following reasons.

1. They had been playing in the President’s Cup tournament until last month. Playing two games a week (home and away) has made them miss a lot of classes . They are quite far behind in their preparation for the SPM Examination.

2. They have also not completed all of the required course work for the SPM examination

3. The schedule given to the school states that training in Europe will be from 14 July to 31 August, the AFF Under 19 Championship in Surabaya from 9 to 22 September and the AFC Under 19 Championship in Zheijang, China from 8 to 12 October 2013.

This leaves them approximately three weeks before they face what could be the most important Exam in their life, the SPM. If selected, they will be playing in those two tournaments. The school is just trying it’s best to ensure that we produce confident, thinking sportsmen and that these young people have the necessary skills and qualifications for life after sports.

Datuk Marina Chin
Principal,
Bukit Jalil Sports School

BJSS A Stumbling Block To Malaysian Sports

Ahmad Syihan Hazmi

BUKIT JALIL SPORTS SCHOOL (BJSS) are back to their selfish ways.

The latest victims are the National U18 side after the school refused to release three players – goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed and defenders Mohd Raphi Azizan Mariappen and Mohd Arif Fadzilah Abu Bakar – for their training stint in Europe from July 16-Aug 18.

The Harimau Muda C boys’ European stint will see them play friendly matches in preparation for the AFC U19 qualifiers scheduled from Sept 9-22 and the AFF U19 Championship from Oct 8-12.

“We are leaving on Tuesday and all arrangements were made very much earlier but BJSS told us on Thursday that the trio wouldn’t be released as they have skipped school for too long,” said head coach Aminuddin Hussin.

“We are heading to the crucial part of our training for the two big competitions this year and we will be without three key players which is a big blow to our plans.”

The European stint will see Aminuddin’s boys play eight friendly matches in Slovakia before going to Hungary, where they are set to play three-four matches in addition to an age-group tournament (Minta Cup).

Amin has already thought of an alternative plan for the trio as he wants to keep training nevertheless.

“I will have to come up with a plan B for the trip and we will arrange for someone to train the three boys when the team is in Europe,” he added.

The decision by BJSS is not the first of its kind.

Last year, two promising shuttlers Soong Joo Vern and Darren Isaac Deva Dass quit the school after it insisted that the duo play in the ASEAN schools meet instead of representing Malaysia at the Asian Junior Championships in South Korea.

The school also barred Ho Yen Mei from competing in the Asian meet for similar reasons but she opted to abide by BJSS’ decision.

21st MOE-WALAA-SSSC International Athletics Championship 2013

(click to link 21st MOE-WALAA-SSSC )

ASEAN SCHOOLS GAMES 2013

2 July 2013

Yen Mei bags gold in ASEAN meet in Hanoi

KUALA LUMPUR: Youngster Ho Yen Mei got a timely boost ahead of the Asian Junior Championships when she nailed the girl’s singles title in the Asean Schools Games at Hanoi, which ended on Sunday.

 

Yen Mei, an aspiring badminton shuttler from Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS), staved off strong resistance from compatriot Yap Rui Chen 21-19, 17-21, 21-14 in the final.

She will now head to Sabah with extra impetus to show that Malaysia have talents in the girls singles department when she takes part in the Asian Junior meet starting on July 7. Malaysia have never featured in the final of the girls’ singles event.

The 17-year-old Yen Mei will be joined by five other singles shuttlers — Rui Chen, Sylvia Kavita Kumares, S. Kisona, Lee Zii Yii and Lee Ying Ying for the Asian junior meet.

Meanwhile, in the Asean Schools Games, Malaysia also won another gold medal in badminton through the boys’ doubles Chua Khek Wei-Mohammad Amzzar.

Malaysia returned home from the Asean meet with a medal haul of 25-30-30 to finish second overall behind champions and hosts Vietnam. Vietnam ended the Games with a massive haul of 50-27-23 to top the eight-country field.

Besides badminton, the other sports contested were aquatics, athletics, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, sepak takraw, pencak silat and artistic gymnastics

5th ASEAN School Games 2013 - Opening Ceremony

5th ASEAN School Games 2013 - Departure & Flag Raising Ceremony

5th ASG 2013 Flag Handover Ceremony

DG of Educ, Tan Sri Ghafar b. Mahmud handing over the flag to Chef de Mission  for 5th ASEAN Schools Games, Tuan Hj. Mahmud b. Karim. Looking on are Madam Ee Hong (Director of Sports, MOE) and BJSS Principal, Datuk Marina Chin.

Muhammad Qayyum b. Mohd Izlan(athletics) leading the Oath Taking.